Internal-combustion engine.



E. PETERSON. INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE. APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 29. 1913.

1,1 01,469. Patented June 23, 1914 V COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPM Co..w^sH|NGTON. D.

ELIOT' PETERSON, 0F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914:.

Applicatonled January 29, 1913. Serial No. 744,892.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ELIo'r PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of I Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to internal combustion engines, and its Object is the perfecting of engines of this character to afford the advantages of both the two cycle and four cycle types.

The invention, generally stated, consists in the provision of an engine having two cylinders which arcleach provided with anV explosion chamber and a compression or pumping chamber, the compressor chambers being each connected by passages with both of the explosionchau'ib-ers subject, however, to the regulation of automatic valves and the engine pistons whereby the explosive charges from the compressors are delivered alternately into the explosion chambers of the adjacent. cylinders. Y

The invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of certain details as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of an engine embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken through 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. et is a fragmentary view showing the preferred form of the engine exhaust ports.

As illustrated, the engine is, by preference, of the upright type and is provided with two cylinders 5 and 51 which are supported by columns G from a base casting 7 Said cylinders are bored to furnish explosion chambers 8 and S1 at their upper ends and with, compression chambers 9 and 91 therebelow. The compression chambers are of greater diameters than the explosion chambers and are open below and terminate at shoulders 10. Provided for the cylinders are pistons 11 and 111 which are formed to tit within the respective explosion chambers and at their lower ends are provided with peripheral collars 12 and 121 which are machined to it within the bore of the compression chambers. The pistons are connected by connecting rods 13 with the cranks 14 and 141 of a crank shaft 15 which is journaled in bearing boxes 16 provided in said base casting and are accessible for oiling, etc. The cranks of said shaft, as illustrated, are disposed diametrically opposite each other, and, in consequence, one of said pistons is at the bottom of its stroke when the other one is at the top. Adjacent to the upper ends of each of the compressor chambers is a port 17 (Fig. 2) for the inlet of explosive mixture through ducts 18 from a carburetor which is not shown. Provided in each of the ducts 1S is a check valve 19 which opens inwardly in opposition to a spring 20 when the latter is overcome through the creation of a vacuum wit-hin the associated compressor chamber during the downstroke of the piston thereof.

At the side of the engine is provided a longitudinally disposed compartment 21 having near its ends openings 22 which communicate with the explosion chambers through ports 23 disposed at such elevation as to be uncovered by the pistons when the same are at or near the termina-tion of their downward strokes. In the bottom of the compartment are openings 24E which are formed to provide seats for non-return valves 25 and 251 opening inwardly with respect to compartment 21 and normally retained closed by springs 26. The compartment openings 24 are co-nnected by passages, such as 27, Fig. 3, with the upper ends of the respective compressor chambers. f

28 represents a vessel secured to the casing of compartment 21 and communicating with the latter through opening 29. A valve 30, preferably of the butterfly type is provided in opening 29. The stem of said valve is provided with an operating handle or arm 301 for closing` and opening the valve.

Diametrically opposite the induction ports 23 of the explosive chambers are exhaust ports 31 through which the spent gases are expelled. The ports 23 and 31 are each desirably formed of the configuration illustrated in Fig. 4; that is to sayof a segment of a circle with the chord a below and having extending across the opening bridge bars 32 to serve as bearings for the piston when traversing the ports.

33 represents an upwardly extending wall or battle-plate provided upon each piston in front of an induction port for the purposes of directing the inflowing currents of eXplosive mixtures upwardly instead of across the chamber to the exhaust port.

Sparking devices, such as plugs 311, are provided for the explosion chamber and are timed and actuated in any suitable manner to'efl'ect the ignition of the gases introduced into the explosion chambers when the pistons thereof are at or in proximity to the upper ends of ktheir strokes.

The operation of the invention is as follows: The explosive mixture being drawn into a compressor chamber, as 9, by the downward stroke of the piston 11 will, by the succeeding upward stroke of the latter,

be compressed until the pressure of the mixture overcomes the power of the spring 26 whereupon the valve 25 will open to admit the gas mixture into compartment 21. When substantially all of the mixture has been transposed into said compartment the pist0n 111 will have descended to expose the exhaust port 31 and induction port 28 of the explosion chamber 81. Through the exhaust port the combustion products of the previously exploded charge escape and the charge contained in the compartment 21 is admitted through the induction port. The piston 111 as it rises, compresses said mixture which is red toward the end of the piston stroke, thereby driving the piston downwardly to afford power to the shaft 15 and likewise serve to draw in a fresh charge of explosive mixture into the chamber 91. When the piston 111 is near the end of its upward stroke the other piston 11 is uncovering the induction and exhaust ports of the combustion chamber 8 which is thereby freed of the spent gases of the previously exploded charge and is supplied with a fresh charge of gas mixture from the compartment 21 received from the compressor 'chamber 91, and so on. In other words, the charges compressed in both compressor chambers 9 and 91 are delivered into the compartment 21, but are delivered from the latter into the explosion cylinders 81 and 8 when the pistons thereof uncover the respective ports, so that the relatively small pressure within the compartment 21 will allow the valves 251 and 25 to be overcome by the pressure prevailing in said compressor chamber. Accordingly, the charges from the compression chamber of one cylinder is transferred to the explosion lchamber of the other cylinder and vice versa.

The charges too, being under pressure within compartment 21, iiow with relatively high velocity into the combustion chambers and tend to expel the exploded gases therefrom in a very efficient manner. By the provision of the vbefore described segmental shaped ports, however, the gases to. and from the" of gases in excess to the capacity of the compartment 21, but when the engine is to be run under a light load the volume of gases supplied to the explosion chambers would be less and the vessel 28 would be made inoperative by closing the valve. For intermediate loads the valve should be adjusted to more or less close the opening to said vessel whereby the How to and from the same is more or less retarded.

The vessel 28 serves, in effect, to reduce or enlarge the size of the gas container 21 which may accordingly be regulated to afford reservoir space in proportion to the combustion gases supplied to the engine from the carburetor.

What I claim, is-

An internal combustion engine comprising a series of cylinders, saidcylinders provided with inlet and exhaust ports vupon 'one side` thereof, a .gas chamber arranged upon the opposite side of the cylinders and intermittently communicating with each cylinder, each cylinder having an explosion and compression chamber arranged in axial alinement, said compression chambers communicating with the gas chamber, pistons operating in said cylinders andV an auxiliary gas chamber carried by the rst named chamber and provided with means for opening and closing communication between the two chambers.

Signed at Seattle, Wash., this 23rd day of January, 1913.

` ELIOT PETERSON. Witnesses:

E. PETERSON, HORACE BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

